Abstract
Presentation Description :
It is important for clinician scientists to be able to recognize opportunities in novel observations and acquire the knowledge and technological skills needed to create completely new areas of research, ultimately aimed at application in the clinical setting. For example, several devastating ocular-surface-related disorders, such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, are difficult to treat properly. Today, thanks to recent advancements in corneal biology and innate immunology, state-of-the-art regenerative medicine such as cultivated oral mucosal epithelial transplantation is applied to treat and, in general, well restore ocular surfaces devastated by disease.
A similar type of translational research, based on the understanding and clinical application of corneal endothelial cell (CEC) biology, is being used to develop the novel therapy of ‘cultured CEC injection’ into the anterior chamber for corneal endothelial diseases such as Fuchs’ corneal endothelial dystrophy. For this purpose, non-proliferative CECs can be induced to proliferate, without inducing endothelial-mesenchymal transition. In clinical research started in December 2013, eleven cases have already begun to show promising results. Another aspect of cutting-edge translational research is focused on developing a novel medical treatment for early-phase corneal endothelial disease. To that end, the use of Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK)-inhibitor eye drops has proved effective for treating partial endothelial dysfunction.
It is our hope that ophthalmology-related translational research, such as that described above, will receive official governmental approval based on accumulated data of the safety and efficacy of the procedures, and ultimately result in the worldwide prevention of blindness.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.